One Shots of the Rageful, the Overprotective, and the Deranged
by This Coffee Tastes Like Crap
Summary: Ch. 10-"Silk and Sugar"-Armin knew when he was being replaced. (READ AN AT END)(PLZ)
1. Long, Luscious Locks

"Commander Er-"

Armin stopped, beholding the scene before him. Levi was hanging halfway out the window, Hanji was laughing hysterically, and Erwin was sitting in his chair, his head completely bald and his face looking rather annoyed.

"Oh…Armin…" Hanji panted, "How ya doing…?"

"I-I just came by to drop off some paperwork," the blonde said, completely lost. "But I can come at a later time-"

"Arlert."

The boy flinched at the Commander's voice. "Y-yes sir?"

Erwin stood up from his chair, his smooth hairless head reflecting sunlight directly into Armin's eyes, making him squint. "I have a task for you."

Armin lowered his head so his bangs could block some of the light. "What can I help you with?"

The older blonde strode up to the younger one and put a firm hand on his head. "You have an abundance of soft, blonde hair."

He knew exactly where this was going. "Sir…I don't think my hair would make a good toupee-"

"It's long," the Commander interrupted, "And very soft indeed…"

"Sir…"

"You will get a haircut, and bring me the remains by tomorrow afternoon."

Armin sighed. "Is that a direct order sir…?"

Erwin smiled. "Yes, Private Arlert, it is."


	2. Light

_"_ _Eren!"_

 _The brunette opened his eyes and looked up from his cozy spot in the grass. His best (and only) friend came running towards him, panting that the effort. His bright blonde hair was disheveled for the first time ever (like seriously, even when he's bullied it's perfectly straight how the heck does that happen?) but he had a big smile on his face._

 _"_ _I-I've got something to show you!" he said, sitting down next to him. His eyes were glittering in that familiar way it does whenever they lay it's gaze on a book, but it seemed even more intense than usual._

 _Suddenly curious, the brunette sat up, emerald eyes now glinting curiosity. "What is it?" he asked, looking at the book in his friend's hands. "It's another book?"_

 _"_ _That's not all," his friend said excitedly, "It's—"_

 _The blonde's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper—_

 _"_ _It's a book about magic."_

 _The brunette gasped. "A-a_ what _?" he asked, "A-aren't those—"_

 _"—_ _punishable by death," his friend finished, "yeah, but my grandpa had one! You can't tell_ anybody _okay?"_

 _The boy stared into his best friend's eyes, getting an idea why his eyes were even brighter than usual._

 _He wanted to have that light too._

 _"…_ _Well what are we waiting for?"the brunette asked, "Let's open it!"_

That was a full ten years ago.

It's been awhile since I've seen that light in my friend's eyes, but it never fully disappeared—not when our home fell to demons, not when our comrades died, not even when I had died several times.

I prayed it would never get snuffed out.

"Tell me," Eren said, sitting in his bunk in the boy's dorm. "How in the world do we fight magical beings without any _magic_?"

Armin opened his mouth to answer, but Jean beat him to the punch. "By magical _weapons_ , dumbass," he replied, "wielding magic is punishable by death because it's too powerful. Besides, titans aren't _that_ powerful, so we don't need to have magic ourselves to fight them."

Eren glanced at his blonde friend, who was amusing himself with a rather large book. "Is that right?"

"Of course it is!" Jean interrupted again, "Of course, _I'm_ planning on being an Imperial Officer, so I won't even have to so much as _look_ at a single demon!"

"I wasn't asking _you_ , horse-face!"

Suddenly there was the slamming of a book, and Armin sat up. "What Jean says is true," he replied bluntly, standing and stretching. "I'm going to the library, want to come?"

Something—no, _everything_ —about his answer pissed Eren off. "Yeah," he said, determined to talk some sense into him as he stood up and followed him out.

When everyone was out of earshot, the brunette confronted him about it. "Why would you agree with him?" he demanded, "What happened to our dream? What about—"

Armin stopped and turned to the brunette. "Eren," he said seriously, "Knowing magic is a capital offense. You can be tortured and _killed_ because of it. People don't need to use magic to fight against the demons because of magical weapons."

"B-but—" he tried again.

"Jean may be true," the blonde interrupted, turning away. "But it doesn't mean he's right."

He continued to walk away, and Eren stood there, dumbfounded.

 _"_ _Honey," his mother said, "You're going to let your new sister sleep in your room, right?"_

 _The brunette looked at the girl staring down at the ground. Her hair covered her eyes, and she seemed to almost shrink on herself._

 _"_ _Well duh," he replied, "C'mon, let's go to bed."_

 _The girl followed him silently into the room. "So," he said, "we've only got one bed, so—"_

 _His sister immediately laid down on the ground._

 _The brunette was appalled by her behavior. "W-what the heck are you doing!?" he demanded, "_ I'm _the one sleeping on the floor stupid!"_

 _The girl looked up at him confused. "But…" her voice was almost a whisper. "You can't do that…"_

 _"_ _Yeah I can!" the brunette said, lying down next to her. "See?"_

 _"_ _But your bed…"_

 _The brunette thought for a moment. Lying on the floor was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and he didn't want either of them laying on it—especially her, but that didn't mean he was very fond of the idea either…_

 _Suddenly a brilliant idea came to mind. "I know!" he exclaimed, "Why don't we both lie on the bed?"_

 _The girl blinked, grey eyes gleaming with gratitude. "R…really?"_

 _"_ _Sure, why not?" the boy said, standing and offering a hand to her. "C'mon!"_

 _The girl took his hand and they both made their way to the bed. Next thing they knew they were snuggled close together, nice and cozy._

 _"_ _Eren."_

 _"_ _Hmm?" he asked, looking up at his sister._

 _"_ _Thank you."_

 _Her silver-black eyes sparkled in the moonlight pouring through the window as she said those two words, glowing bright in the darkness._

 _He wanted to have that light too._

 _"_ _Don't mention it," he said, holding her close._

 _Together they slept, finding comfort in the other's arms._

It had been the first time I had seen anything remotely positive in her eyes, and though it withered away when her gaze fell on most people, they burned bright whenever her eyes bore into mine. Even if I wasn't looking I can feel her gaze on me, and though it's mother-hen-ish in an annoying way, it still made me happy that her light was saved for only me (and Armin, of course, but it's not as bright).

I pray I don't ever snuff it out by mistake.

" _Eren_."

"Holy—" Eren cried out as he fell off the bed. He had woken up to Mikasa's face staring down at him, murderous intent written all over it.

"You overslept," she said, her face returning to its normal, neutral expression. "Breakfast is almost over."

"I—" Eren blinked. "W- _what_!?"

"I figured you needed more rest," she said as he rushed to get ready, "but you need to eat as well. I don't want you fainting in the middle of training."

Under normal circumstances, he would have complained that she was babying him again, but he really _did_ need that food—his stomach kept rumbling as he got ready to go, and when he finished, he didn't spare a glance at his sister, knowing she was already following him to the mess hall.

There was no light in this world.

The first light to be snuffed out was Mikasa's because hers was so dim to begin with. Even when she found out I was a demon myself, it hadn't wavered—if anything, it had strengthened with the knowledge that she would stick with him even if he was a demon—a _titan_ , no less.

But I made the mistake of snuffing it out.

I tried to kill her, and I can never forgive myself for being so foolish. I had promised, time after time after time again that I would never hurt her, titan or not, and in my blind rampage I broke every single one of those promises, shattered like her ribs were by the time she was saved by the only one capable of doing so, the strongest in all of humanity. People still stare at me in fear, and now even Mikasa, even though she still stands by my side no matter what, doesn't look at me the same way she used to.

It was my fault.

The next was Armin, but in the way I least expected. He was always innocent, a curious soul tagging along with his best friend to accomplish their dreams of mastering the forbidden art of magic and finding the fabled ocean, outside the confines of this world.

But he snuffed it out willingly.

Jean, that damned horse-faced bastard, was too human for his own good and couldn't kill a woman who had no scruples about blowing him to bits with her gun. He didn't even think twice, and when Mikasa had tried to put a stop to it it was already too late. The moment he pulled that trigger was the moment his light vanished. His eyes were no longer curious, just calculating, and he doesn't speak of our dream anymore.

I still felt as if it was my fault.

Despite everything, we stuck together. Though scarred, the three of us was forged in the fires of hell itself, made for each other.

There is no light in this world.


	3. Caps Lock

"I #*&%ING HATE THIS GAME!" Eren bellowed, flipping the table over.

Armin sighed. "Eren," he said calmly, "we've only played one game."

"I DON'T CARE!" he shouted, "CONNECT FOUR _SUCKS_!"

"YAEGAR!" Levi yelled, "STOP BEING SUCH A SORE LOSER!

 _Why the heck is everyone using Caps Lock?_ Armin asked himself as he began to pick up the pieces of Eren's mess (as always). "How about 'Life'?"

" _No_."

Armin sighed again. "Fine…how about checkers?"

"Okay!"he said enthusiastically.

 _Five minutes later…_

"I &*$ING HATE THIS GAME!" Eren bellowed, flipping the table over.

"That's it I'm leaving," Armin muttered, getting up and leaving Eren to his serious rage issues.

 _Ten minutes later…_

"ARMIN!" Eren screamed, running into the silent library Armin had escaped to.

Armin sighed yet again. "What Eren?"

"I just got Mikasa's phone number!" he said enthusiastically, "I'm gonna call her!"

"You _live_ with her," Armin pointed out, "what's the point?"

" _SHUT UP!_ " he shouted.

Armin rolled his eyes. "Fine. Call her."

Eren put it on speaker and let it ring. It rang three times when someone finally picked up.

"Hi this is Pizza Hut," some guy said, "May I take your order?"

The blonde almost laughed out loud at Eren's dejected face. "Let me guess, Jean gave you that number?"

"WHY ME!?" Eren sobbed, "I WAS SO CLOSE!"

"Uh sir…?" the guy on the phone stammered, "Please don't use Caps Lock…can you state your order in lowercase?"

 _Three Hours Later…_

"AND THEN THAT'S HOW I ENDED UP CALLING _YOU_!" Eren sobbed, rising back up to Caps Lock again.

The guy on the phone was silent for a moment, and then asked. "So…would that be for here or to go…?"

"To go, please," Armin said, "And I'm sorry about my friend over here…"

"I-it's okay," the guy responded, "Just…give me an extra tip when I get there, okay?"

"Will do," Armin replied, hanging up.

 _Thirty Minutes Later…_

"On the bright side," Armin said as they ate pizza, "we got pizza out of this entire episode…"

"But…" Eren sniffed, "Why won't Sempai notice me?"

Armin merely rolled his eyes.

 **So, I really want to make the last Witch!AU a muli-chapter fic, but idk if you guys want me to do that-review if yo do...or don't want it...(I know I'm pretty erratic in terms of updating :/)**


	4. Feel Like I'm Forgetting Something

**OMFG I FORGOT MY BBY'S BIRTHDAY**

 **You'd think with how many fanfics I have that revolve around him he'd get a large oneshot, but me being sick coupled with all the work piled on me equals brain fart.**

 **So HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY MY LITTLE ARYAN COCONUT~**

"Hey Mikasa," Eren said one day at dinner, "I feel like I've forgotten something."

His adopted sister blinked at him. "Really?" she asked, "Why? Were you supposed to do something?"

Eren stared down at his food. "Yeah," he said, "It was _really_ important, too…"

"Well," Mikasa said, setting aside her food. "If it was truly important to you you'd remember eventually."

The brunette sighed and stared up at the ceiling. The other Survey Corps members were merrily chatting away, but he couldn't help but feel pissed off at himself. He knew it was important, and the moment he remembers it— _if_ he remembers it—will just make him even _more_ pissed off.

"Don't worry over it too much," Mikasa consoled him, "it'll just aggravate you. You'll remember eventually."

"I…I guess you're right," Eren said, continuing to eat his food. "No use in worrying about it if it won't help!"

"Hey Eren," Armin said the next day, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Eren growled and ran a hand through his hair. "Yes, I am! I have no idea what it is and it's bothering me!"

The blonde blinked, as if he wasn't expecting that reaction. "O-Oh," he replied, "W-well I'm sure you'll remember eventually…"

"That's what Mikasa said," Eren mumbled, "but thanks."

Armin merely rolled his eyes and laughed.

"Why was Horse-face giving you a present?!" Eren demanded as Armin happily opened a new book and a package of sugar cookies a few hours later.

"Don't worry about it," Armin replied cryptically, "You'll remember eventually."

"Arrgh!" Eren shouted, kicking the wall. "This thing is _really_ pissing me off!"

The blonde laughed at his distress. "It must be _really_ important if it's bothering you this much."

"I _know_ it's really important!" Eren replied, "This is going to tear me apart, I swear…I can feel the grey hairs coming on already!"

"Wow," Armin said, raising an eyebrow. "It's really _that_ stressful?"

"Yes!"

His best friend laughed again. "All the more reason for you to figure it out yourself," he replied, eating another cookie. "You'll feel a huge sense of accomplishment and not act so emotionally constipated all the time."

"You and I both know I'll act emotionally constipated regardless."

The two of them laughed, but Eren just couldn't shake the unease growing in his chest.

" _HOLY SHIT!_ "

Everyone in the boys' dorm—and possibly the girls' too, with how loud the yell was—was shocked awake.

"What the actual _fuck_ Yeager!?" Jean cursed from below him.

"Eren, what's the matter!?" his best friend asked, alarmed.

" _I FORGOT YOUR FUCKING BIRTHDAY!_ " Eren screamed, " _THAT'S THE MATTER!_ "

There was complete silence in the bunks until Armin laughed.

"Congrats," Armin said, "now you can apologize in the morning. I don't think anyone feels like dealing with your shit at two in the morning."

Despite his smile and tone, the fact that he cursed was a sign that he was indeed exhausted and more than a little pissed off, if only at the interruption of sleep rather than the forgetting of his birthday.

"S-sorry guys," Eren apologized.

"Fucking hell Yeager," Reiner muttered, flipping over and burrowing under the covers.

However, something—or rather, some _one_ —suddenly burst through the window of the room.

" _Eren_ ," Mikasa said, "What's wrong?"

"I forgot Armin's birthday!" Eren whined.

"Hi Mikasa," Armin said tiredly.

Mikasa sighed. "We'll deal with it tomorrow," she said, retreating back through the window. "You need your rest."

Eren rolled his eyes. " _Yes_ Mikasa…"

And thus everyone went back to sleeping peacefully except for two people.

"Armin," Eren murmured, "I'll get you a present tomorrow, even if it's two days late."

"You don't need to," the blonde replied, "but thanks anyway."

Finally satisfied, Eren slept.

 **By "tomorrow" I mean "when I'm not drowning in work, snot, and tears" XD but there** ** _will_** **be a proper fic…if not during this month… :P**


	5. Wrath

"H-Have you noticed anything… _different_ with Armin?" Jean asked as Eren got ready for bed. He usually didn't want the guy anywhere near him, but his curiosity piqued at the sound of his best friend's name.

"No…" Eren said slowly, "why? Did someone bully him?"

"I-I have no idea," Jean sighed, "But…he's just not being himself. I-I could be going crazy, but…"

Now confused, Eren shooed him away. "Yeah, I'll look into it," he said, "No go away. I need sleep."

Jean looked like he was going to insult him, but held back. Instead he settled for a glare and left.

* * *

"Hey, Eren," Reiner called over the next day during a break in their exercise, "Can I ask you something?"

"Uh, sure," Eren said as he made his way over to him. "What'cha need?"

"Well…" Reiner thought for a moment, looking unsure about how to proceed. "…You're good friends with Armin, right?"

Eren gazed at him warily. "Yeah…why? Did something happen?"

Reiner shifted uncomfortably. "I was hoping you would tell me. He's been acting really weird lately and it's scaring the hell out of me."

"What do you mean it's 'scaring the hell out of you'?" Eren demanded, "How has he been acting weird?!"

The brunette growled when Reiner waved a dismissive hand. "It's probably nothing."

"Yeah, sure," Eren muttered, "thanks anyway."

* * *

"Hey Armin," Eren said as the trio sat down for lunch that day, "What's up with…you…?"

Now he knew why Jean and Reiner were upset—and scared. Armin didn't look like his usual, cheerful self—his face had no expression on it whatsoever, and his normally bright eyes were cold and calculating, analyzing every movement that Eren made.

"It's nothing," he said flatly, eating his food.

Even Mikasa looked put off by his change in demeanor. "Armin," she said gently, "Are you okay?"

"I'll live," was the cold response.

Eren and Mikasa shared a worried glance. That wasn't good.

The last time he said "I'll live" was when the three were fending for themselves as refugees—when confronted about it, he'd always claim that he couldn't afford to complain and that they'd have to make do with what little they had. It had become code for one of two things—one, "I want to give up but I won't" or two, "I want to destroy anything and everything that breathes but I won't".

The latter only happened once, when someone had tried to steal Mikasa's scarf. Mikasa was devastated—Eren thought at the time that dismissing it as a "dumb scarf" would make her feel better, but it only made things worse. When Mikasa had finally cried herself to sleep, Eren had saw that Armin was staring off in the direction the man had gone.

 _"_ _Hey Armin," Eren said slowly, "Are you okay…?"_

 _His friend continued to stare into the distance. His eyes had something that he couldn't place, and his mouth was set in a thin line._

 _"…_ _Armin?"_

 _Armin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'll live."_

 _Eren also exhaled. "Well, we should get some sleep. Maybe one of use should keep watch…?"_

 _"_ _I'll do it," Armin said instantly._

 _"_ _Thanks," Eren replied with a yawn, "I…I don't think that I can stay up another moment…"_

 _"_ _Ar…Armin!?" Eren shot up, frantically looking for his best friend. "Armin where are you!?"_

 _"_ _Eren?" Mikasa asked, latching on to his arm. "What's going on? Where's Armin?"_

 _Suddenly there were footsteps approaching and Eren stood, ready to fight._

 _Luckily he didn't have to—his best friend came around the corner, panting and dripping wet._

 _"_ _A-Armin—!" Eren stopped when he saw a familiar red scarf in his hands. "H…how did you…?"_

 _"_ _I-I had seen the man before," Armin admitted, scratching his head. "I followed him when you went to sleep, but when I got it he caught me and set some dogs after me…"_

 _"_ _A-are you alright…?" Mikasa asked, scarf temporarily forgotten. "They didn't hurt you, did they!?"_

 _The blonde shook his head. "I…I had to jump in the latrines to get them off my scent…so sorry Mikasa…"_

 _He handed her the scarf, smiling apologetically, and Eren saw Mikasa was beginning to cry._

 _"_ _T-thank you…" she said, engulfing him in a hug. Eren grinned and did the same._

 _That's when the smell hit him, though he couldn't care less. "Well, that explains why you're dripping wet," he said, laughing. "Here, let's see if we can dry you off of something…"_

 _"_ _What do you_ mean _a dead body?"A voice demanded nearby, causing the two to duck behind the wall. "Who'd put a dead body_ there _?"_

 _"_ _It looks like he's just some Maria refugee," another said, "but even so, dumping him in the latrines is harsh…"_

 _"_ _We're going to have to fish him out, huh?" the first man asked dejectedly._

 _"_ _Not_ us _," the second replied, "I absolutely_ refuse _to waddle through a piss sewer for some damn refugee…"_

 _The voices vanished, and Eren peeked his head out. "All clear," he said, making the other two visibly relax._

 _"_ _The latrines?" Mikasa asked, "That's rather coincidental…"_

 _"_ _Huh," Armin replied, "It really is…"_

 _Eren glanced at his friend, noticing that the unfamiliar look was back in his friend's eyes._

He hadn't thought much about it, but now that he did he recognized the coldness in Armin's eyes that he'd failed to understand earlier. His face rivaled Annie's in how 'bored' he looked, and the fact that he said two words only can mean one thing.

The brunette glanced at his sister again, and she nodded.

Armin Arlert was very, _very_ upset.

 **So I felt like pissing off my favorite character for no reason at** **all...sorry for not being sorry at all XD**


	6. Wrath Pt 2: Vengance

Eren hadn't pushed for an explanation when he realized just how dire the situation was.

Instead he merely let his friend be, partially because whenever Armin is upset he'd go off alone to brood…

…but mostly because he had absolutely _no_ idea how to deal with him.

He was giving the cold shoulder to _everybody_ , even him and Mikasa, which _really_ startled him. One day Armin almost shoulder checked him while he stormed back to training, mumbling a sorry when Eren barely managed to move out of his way, mistakenly crashing into a confused Jean.

"S-sorry," he muttered, averting his eyes. As much as it burns to say it, Jean didn't need him to take out all of his frustrations on him because he might disable him for life.

"I-It's alright…" Jean replied, scratching the back of his head. "Man, he's even being cold to you?"

"Yeah," Eren replied with a sigh, "I haven't even gotten the chance to ask what's wrong yet."

Jean winced. "Well let's go," he said, changing the subject. "Maybe getting your ass beat by me in training will get your mind off of things."

The brunette was taken aback by that comment. "Yeah right, horse-face!" he replied, "You're on!"

With that, they raced towards the training grounds.

"What's a little runt like you going to do to stop me?"

Eren froze. It was the dead of night, and he was just on his way to the outhouse when he heard the voices.

"What am I going to do?" a familiar voice echoed, "I'm going to make you a slave to my will."

 _Was that…?_ Eren peeked around the corner and gasped silently.

Armin was staring up at some cadet he'd seen once or twice around—he wasn't even in the same cabin as him and some of his friends. He was built like a wall with slicked back brown hair and a shit-eating grin that Eren wanted to wipe off his face with his fist. Both he and Armin were still fully clothed, save their 3DMG gear and jackets while Eren was merely sporting pants.

"How the _fuck_ are you going to do _that_?" the guy spat, "What makes you think I'll do anything you say!?"

His best friend cocked his head to the side and tapped his chin. "Well," he said thoughtfully, "I know that if the higher ups find out about your little… _handicap_ , then you'll immediately be shipped back to the fields because you'll be deemed worthless…"

At that, Cain barked out a laugh. "That ain't so bad!" he replied haughtily, "I just came here to get some money! Working in the fields would be a piece of cake!"

Eren gaped at the almost demonic grin his best friend gave Cain. "Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as a challenge, "Working in below-zero temperatures for at least twelve hours a day and sleeping in a nearby landfill is a piece of cake? Or is it when it's over 100 degrees but you can't take off any layers lest they be stolen from you that makes it _such_ a piece of cake?"

Cain's mouth opened and closed like a fish, and Armin gave a non-committal shrug. "Then again," he continued, "I'm not a rich noble's son from the interior like you, so I've never tasted something as expensive as _cake_."

He spat the last word with enough venom to kill the colossal titan, causing both Cain and Eren to shudder.

 _So_ he's _the reason why he was so upset?_ Eren asked himself, _but…why is he blackmailing him? What the hell did he do?!_

Eren almost walked out and demanded that Armin tell him what was going on, but decided against it. He would probably make the entire situation worse, and it seemed like Armin had it under some sort of scary, demonic control.

"T-then I'll skip the fields," Cain countered finally, "I'll just re-enlist under a different name! They can't keep track of how many rejects they kick out!"

"True," Armin replied, "but if they find out how you were going to…'interfere' with next week's training exercise, you'll be sure to be _executed_. Or if they find out how you're a rich noble's son they'll ship you straight back to daddy, huh?"

"At least I _have_ a father!" Cain shot back.

Eren growled. It took all of his willpower to not beat the shit out of the guy right then and there—how _dare_ he talk to his best friend that way!?

However, like always, Armin is a step ahead of him. "Not when he finds out you're _not_ missing or dead," he replied slyly, giggling slightly. "When he finds out how you plan to join the _Scouting Legion_ of all things, he'll disown you on the spot."

"M-My father _loved_ me—!"

"Your father loved your _obedience_ ," Armin corrected, "He's only grieving his loss because he has no one to succeed him, but he and his wife both are too old to raise another child, correct?"

Cain grabbed Armin's collar and hoisted him up, making Eren burn with rage.

"I have another idea," he muttered, "You keep your mouth shut or I'll beat the shit out of you."

Eren tensed. If that arm went up to strike, he was tackling him, no matter what devious plot had in mind. He's not going to let this useless pectoral muscle bully his friend into submission!

Armin apparently knows this. "Go ahead," he said simply, "You're going to get your ass beat the moment you do. Even he gets his ass beat too I'll just run to Shadis like a little crybaby about how I was just innocently trying to go to the bathroom when you decided that someone weak like me shouldn't be here. The witness right behind that corner will back me up, saying that I tried to leave peacefully but you were just _dying_ to be childish and prey on the weak."

Cain's head whipped to the corner, and Eren ducked his head back and held his breath.

"…You're bluffing," Cain decided.

"Even if I am," Armin said, "I can't really explain the cuts and bruises by saying I ran into a pole. They wouldn't buy _that_ , now would they?"

There was a long pause, and then Cain let Armin go. He landed on his feet and adjusted his shirt, sighing as he did so.

"Pathetic brute," the blonde muttered.

Hearing this, Cain rushed at him, leading Eren to do the same to him—

—but then without warning Armin grabbed the punch, turned and judo-threw him over his shoulder.

Realizing that once again, Armin knew what he was doing, he vanished behind the corner again. _Seriously_ , Eren thought, _what the hell is going on? Why is Armin acting like this? Is it something—_

His train of thought screeched to a halt when Armin shoved the heel of his boot on Cain's face.

"Don't underestimate me," he growled, "I'll make you _wish_ your life was a living hell when I'm through with you. Cross me and your entire life will go down the drain—but do as I say and I might let you off easy, okay?"

He said the last part with a smile, making Eren back away. He's _never_ been this malevolent before—he's one of those people who would berate you for killing a simple moth or bee. In Eren's opinion, he was about as harmful as a muffin if also as sharp as a whip.

Though now he was acting like he was downright insane.

Cain attempted to get up, but Armin merely drove his heel in harder, making him groan in pain. As he did he looked down condescendingly at the enormous brunette, eyes cold and merciless.

"You're beneath me," Armin sneered, "say it."

"W-wha— _oof_!"

Eren winced as Armin kicked him in the ribs. " _Say it_ ," he growled menacingly as he returned his boot to Cain's face, crossing his arms and looking at him expectantly.

"I…I'm…I'm beneath you…" Cain finally grit out, breathing hard.

"Again," Armin demanded, once again driving his heel forward.

"I'm…beneath you…" Cain said, a little louder.

"Again."

"I-I'm beneath you…"

"Once more time."

"I'm beneath you." His voice had become void of life, but Eren couldn't see the expression on his face.

However, his best friend's was as clear as day—manic joy had lit up his features as he drove his heel into Cain's face again.

"Don't _ever_ underestimate me again," Armin seethed, the joy melting into rage."And if you even _think_ about threatening my family again, I will _end_ you. Understand?"

"Y-yes…" Cain choked out. Eren could have sworn he heard a small sob, but he wasn't sure.

What he _was_ sure about was that this was _not_ okay.

At all.

Deciding that this has gone far enough, Eren stepped out of the shadows. "Armin."

The blonde sighed as Cain visibly jumped. "Who'th thah?" he asked.

Ignoring Cain, Eren approached his best friend. "…what are you doing?"

"It doesn't concern you," Armin said, removing his foot and started to walk past him.

Eren refused to take that as an answer. Instead he grabbed his best friend's arm and glared at him. "Watching my best friend dehumanize someone most definitely _does_ concern me," he replied sternly, "What the hell's gotten into you? What made you think this was in _any way_ okay?"

The blonde looked back at him, eyes hard. "He threatened what little family I have left," he replied coldly, "I'm not going to just let him get away with that."

The green-eyed brunette was taken aback by that answer. "W-what did he threaten to do?"

Armin glanced at Cain, whose eyes were wide with fear.

"…It doesn't matter," the blonde decided, "he won't do anything now."

It most certainly _did_ matter, but Eren was too tired to argue—not to mention that he still needed to relieve himself. So instead of yelling back at him, Eren wrapped him in a hug. "I don't like you like this," he murmured, "I know you're protecting us, but…"

Armin gently withdrew from the hug. "Don't worry," he said quietly, "please."

He was actually starting to sound like his old self again, but Eren just couldn't shake the unease growing in the pit of his stomach.

 **I REGRET NOTHING**


	7. Wrath Pt 3: Malevolence

"What's up with him?" Jean asked as Eren and the rest of the cadets were heading off to lunch.

Eren turned to see what Horse-face was talking about and immediately understood his confusion.

Cain must have mistakenly bumped into Armin or something to that extent because he was sputtering apologies nonstop. Armin looked thoroughly confused, but Eren knew what happened last night—the manic joy that was present there was currently in his eyes now.

"C-Cain," Armin said, laughing good-naturedly. "Really, it's fine. I'm not hurt, see?"

"S-sorry…" Cain muttered for the umpteenth time.

After that, Eren decided to keep a closer eye on Cain—and to be honest, he wasn't too surprised by what he found. He was skittish every time his best friend was nearby and would always step out of his way whenever they were walking anywhere. If he lightly brushed him then he'd jump away like he had just caught fire.

He wasn't the only one who noticed this.

"Now Cain's acting weird too," Reiner commented a few days later as they were getting ready for bed, "and it's only around Armin. This is seriously starting to worry me."

"I wonder if it's Armin's doing?" Connie asked, "Like, he psychologically destroyed him with his mind powers or something!"

The green-eyed brunette laughed to himself. _That pretty much did happen, didn't it?_ He thought to himself.

"Armin isn't _that_ smart," Jean claimed, crossing his arms. "You treat him like he's some _genius_ or something!"

"Actually," Thomas said, "He's the top of the class academically. I checked this morning when our scores on the last test came out."

Jean scoffed. "S-so? He reads a lot! You need to be able to strategize in a pinch, and he thinks things over too much!"

Eren was about to get up and hit him when Reiner scoffed back. "As if," he replied, "it was his plan that saved Krista during that one exercise, remember? That's good strategizing when I see it."

"Yeah," Nack agreed, "we would have been screwed if not for him."

The two-toned brunette growled. "But he's _physically_ weak," he tried.

"Why are you so intent on downing my best friend!?" Eren finally demanded.

"Yeah, you kinda sound like an ass," Connie agreed, "Armin's pretty chill. What'd he do to you?"

Jean got red in the face. "I-I'm going to the bathroom," he said, rushing out of the room and doing just that.

Eren thought for a moment. "I need to go too," he said absentmindedly, following him.

"I bet my dinner Eren's gonna beat the shit out of him," he heard Connie say as he left.

* * *

"H-how did you hear about that?"

Eren stopped by the door to the bathrooms, not surprised to see Jean being confronted by his best friend. It was exactly like last time, except he wasn't in such a dire need to relieve himself so he can handle the situation better.

Or so he thought.

"I have my ways," Armin said vaguely, "I'm actually surprised. I thought we were going to get along, but oh well…"

"W-what the hell do you mean by that!?" Jean demanded, "You sound like you're about to murder me or something!"

The green-eyed brunette sighed. He actually wouldn't be too surprised if Armin pulled a knife on him and did just that—with his recent behavior Eren had begun to question his best friend's sanity.

 _That's rather coincidental._

 _It is, isn't it?_

"That _would_ make me feel better," Armin admitted, shocking the two of them. "However that would be way too messy and risky where we are now. I'm not one of those revenge types who _has_ to advertize what I've done to you—in fact, quite a few mishaps with your gear has been due to your constant fighting with Eren and bothering Mikasa. Makes you a bit hesitant to cross me, doesn't it?"

Jean's face grew red. "Y-you little—"

"However," Armin cut him off, "I've long since gotten used to childish insults and gossiping about how useless I am, so I won't tell everyone about your crush on Mikasa."

It took all of Eren's willpower to refrain from laughing. Everyone already _knew_ about Jean's crush except for Jean himself.

"Y-you wouldn't dare!" Jean gasped, horrified.

"No, I wouldn't," Armin confessed, "because it wouldn't be news. Everyone else already knows—Mikasa complains about you a lot."

Jean gasped, stepping back as Eren put a hand over his mouth. Luckily Jean wasn't Cain, so instead of his best friend being sadistically dominating, he was merely hurting Jean's feelings with the truth to knock him down a peg or two—probably because Jean doesn't harass him as much as Cain did. He usually didn't irritate anyone but Eren, but Marco was convinced that he was nice, so everyone else was inclined to agree.

"I-I…" Jean looked like he was asphyxiating on embarrassment with how wide his mouth was and the choking sounds coming from his throat.

" _But_ ," Armin pointed out with a smile, "I _will_ tell people how you really are interested in Marco and only think of Mikasa as a pretty doll with skill—of course, that's just you giving up on trying to repress your true desires…though I'll admit you have good taste—Marco's a nice guy. If I swung that way then I'd probably crush on him second. Eren would be my first, but Mikasa wouldn't appreciate that, and since you call dibs on Marco I'd still end up like I am now—single and most certainly not ready to mingle."

Eren gaped at Armin. Once again he was baffled by his best friend—how the hell did he figure that out? And why would _he_ be his first choice?

"Don't worry," Armin said when Jean didn't respond, "I'm not humiliating you based on your sexuality. I could care less what who envision being on top of—or _under_ , if you're like that—just your embarrassment when people realize that you've been crushing on your best friend for the longest time."

Okay, this was starting to get weird in Eren's opinion. Armin was always one who clammed up when it came to sexuality—he was pretty much an innocent angel who became flustered when a private body part was even _implied_ , let alone _sex_.

"Are you a top or bottom?" Armin asked, much to Jean and Eren's dismay.

"T-that's not your business!" Jean exploded, "I-In fact, _none_ of this is your business! What gives you the right to do this to me?!"

"Me," Armin said simply, "You did something I don't approve of, so I'm inclined to take matters into my hands. Don't worry though—you don't bother me that much, but you should be more respectful to Eren and Mikasa. I may be impartial to who you want to fuck, but some others are not—as smart as I am, I'm not too sure I can curb the harassment you'll get, so I'll apologize in advance."

The two brunettes were reeling. _Did Armin just_ curse _?_

Even when he was dehumanizing Cain Armin didn't utter anything worse than "hell". Where did the sudden language come from? _Why_ did it come from there?

"You think pulling some fucked up blackmailing strategy out of your ass will work on me!?" Jean demanded angrily.

"Well that's where I usually pull all of my strategies from," Armin said with a laugh, "because I'm usually just flying from the seat of my pants."

Eren couldn't help but be amused by this confrontation. It wasn't _too_ bad—

"It's also where I pull my murder plots from," the blonde added.

…he spoke too soon.

When the hell did _murder_ come across his friend's mind? Again, this is the boy who loves moths and bees, so taking _human_ lives should be _revolting_.

"I-I'll leave your damn friends alone," Jean muttered, "J-just…stuff those plots back up your ass, okay?"

"Will do," Armin agreed, smiling. "Now we should head back to the barracks. It'll be lights out soon. You can come out now Eren."

Jean jumped when Eren tripped over himself in surprise, falling right into their view.

"W-what the _hell_ Yeager!?" Jean demanded, going to grab his shirt.

" _Jean._ "

The two-toned brunette stopped in his tracks at the sudden authority in Armin's voice.

"We _just_ discussed this," the blonde said exasperatedly, like a child who got his hand stuck in the cookie jar right before dinner. "You really _are_ a glutton for punishment, aren't you?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Jean cried out, "P- _please_ don't—"

"I'm not," Armin replied, "just don't screw up again, okay?"

Jean nodded, looking at the floor. "Y-yeah…"

Eren stood and scratched his head as Jean left. Now it was just the two of them, and he had no idea how to handle the situation.

"What is it Eren?" Armin asked innocently, all traces sociopathic tendencies gone from his expression. He looked like he normally did—though after a second glance he noted that Armin was hiding something.

"Alright," Eren said, crossing his arms. "You have a _lot_ of explaining to do."


	8. Wrath Pt 4: Violence

"He wanted to _what_!?"

His best friend nodded morosely. "He was going to separate the group and…kill you. I overheard the entire thing—he told a friend of his one day during lunch. The friend ended up getting sent to the fields, but Cain had said he could still do it himself."

Eren blinked, unable to comprehend the situation. Cain annoyed him more than Jean sometimes, but he never contemplated _murder_ before…

"…can I ask _why_?"

"He…" the blonde bit his lip and looked to the ground. "…he said he wanted to make me mad. He knew we were close and wanted to piss me off—no, he wanted to see me break and give up and—"

"Armin," the brunette said, putting his hands on his shoulders. "Calm down."

His best friend ceased his shaking and his wide eyes closed as he looked to the ground. "He talks about a lot of things," he continued, "and I found out some of his secrets from said friend. I was the one who convinced—well, _threatened_ I guess—him to flunk out to the fields because I had originally thought that Cain would give up—but Cain is stupider than I give him credit for."

Eren nodded, finally getting it. "O…kay…" he said, "and now he won't…?"

"If he touches you I'll kill him with my bare hands," Armin confirmed darkly, "Not only that, I'll psychologically torture him to the point of no return—"

"I get it, thanks," Eren said with a laugh, "But…how did you find out about…everything else?"

Armin shrugged nonchalantly. "Half was pure observation and the other half was just me bluffing."

Eren blinked. "You…wait what?"

"There were rumors about someone that matched his description running away from a noble family," Armin explained, "I wasn't 100% sure it was him, but I just decided to take a risk—a very well calculated risk, but a risk nonetheless."

"…wow…" the brunette murmured, "you…are quite scary, you know that?"

The blonde merely smiled innocently at him.

"I've _had_ it!"

The entire mess hall silenced at the outburst. Eren looked up and saw that Cain had mistakenly bumped into Armin once again, and was now holding the blonde by his shirt. Mikasa and he both bolted out of their seats, but his best friend sent a subtle, withering death glare towards the two of them. Mikasa didn't seem to notice, so the brunette grabbed her arm.

"Wait," he mouthed, "He's fine."

"Eren, what are you—" her demand was cut short by Cain's sudden cackling.

"You thought I'd just put up with your shit forever!?" he asked, "No, I'm gonna beat your weak ass right in front of everyone!"

The blonde blinked. "…may I ask why?"

Pure confusion fell on Cain's expression, but it morphed into rage. "You know why!" he almost screamed, "You're too scared to follow through with your threat because you just _love_ the power you're holding over me! I bet you're counting on your two _guard dogs_ to help you!"

Armin's innocent smile faltered for a split second, a flash of barely controlled hatred crossing his eyes—if Eren had blinked, he would have missed it.

"Really?" the blonde asked, cocking his head to the side. "You don't think I'd disclose the fact that you were planning on _killing_ my best friend _just_ to get to me during tomorrow's training exercise?"

There was a loud gasp, and Eren had to tug on his sister's arm to stop her from charging Cain again.

"Or," he continued, "was it the fact that you ran away from Count Bismo and faked your death just because he didn't give you what you wanted?"

Murmurs started to spread like wildfire, and Eren noticed that it took less effort to hold Mikasa down. "See?" he whispered, "He's got it."

"Y…you…stupid…" Cain's hands were shaking with fury as he looked down at the ground.

"Oh wait," Armin said, "I think it was the fact that you have a—quite frankly disconcerting—addiction to illegal—"

His friend was cut off by a swift punch to the jaw, forcing Eren to clamp down on his sister's arm. He wanted nothing more to let her go and help her beat this jackass up, but Armin glanced at them again, forcing him to stop.

"Now you're gonna get it," Cain growled, and—to everyone's horror—pulled out a knife.

Armin stood back up and wiped his now bleeding mouth. "Really?" he asked, sarcasm and disbelief dripping from his voice. "And make yourself look even _worse_ in front of everyone?"

"I say, Cadet Arlert has a point."

The entire room jumped at the sound of Keith's voice. "Cadet Bismo," he continued, "is what this boy says true?"

"O-o-of _course_ not!" Cain screamed, "He's—he's _lying_! H-he can't prove _anything_!"

"Check the boy's barracks," Armin suggested, "He always keeps his stash of drugs in his spare jacket pocket—and just bring a representative of Count Bismo's to see if this is truly his son or not."

"What about the…uh… _murder_ plot?" Keith asked, his face paling slightly.

"You're going to have to search the fields for a James Camry, because he was in on it," the blonde explained, "but he decided against it and purposely got himself kicked out."

Shadis stared at the boy with a shocked expression. "Scary…" he muttered, "A-Alright. I'll have men sweep the men's barracks and locate former Cadet Camry. I don't know I could get in touch with Count Bismo, but I think we have enough to get you _executed_ , let alone a measly time out in prison."

Two soldiers grabbed Cain by the arms, causing him to struggle. "N-no!" he shouted, "I-I'm not going to be done in by a fucking runt!"

The blonde smiled sweetly at him. "I told you," he said, "Don't under estimate me. It'll cost you."

"So…he's _dead_?"

The barracks was morose as they thought of the death of their loudmouthed comrade. He may have been overly arrogant and rude to most, he was still a human whose life was taken, a life with value.

Though Armin would beg to differ.

"Seriously," Eren said warily, looking at his best friend hum happily while reading. "You literally got someone _executed_. The least you could do is _act_ guilty."

"I know," the blonde replied, "I did it on purpose. I don't have any regrets."

The rest of the men in the room stared at him in fear. "O-oi Armin…" Connie stammered, "Y…you're pretty scary."

"Only when I have to be," the blonde pointed out cheerfully, "just don't get on my bad side and you'll be fine."

"B-but you pretty much _killed_ someone," Reiner replied shakily, "and threatened someone else to give up on their military career entirely. You…you're not fazed by that?"

Armin shook his head. "I mean, I guess I _did_ kind of feel bad about James…he didn't want to go along with the plan to kill Eren, but he was being blackmailed. I just offered him an out…so I guess I don't feel that bad after all."

An uncomfortable silence settled in the room as everyone looked to one another, all coming to the same conclusion.

Armin Arlert was very, _very_ scary.


	9. Demons

"What the hell is that!?"

Mina stared in horror as Mikasa gently fingered her necklace. "Eren gave it to me," she replied, "He made it out of the teeth of a dog he killed last night."

The other girl immediately vacated her seat when said brunette came over, his blonde friend in tow. "T-that's nice-uh-oh look, Annie's calling me!"

She practically dived at the stoic blonde, who's normally bored face radiated extreme confusion as Mina laughed loudly. "I'd love to sit with you Annie! Thanks for offering!"

As the two went on their way, Mikasa looked down at her necklace. "Your gifts always scare people away Eren."

Eren merely laughed and scratched his head, sitting down beside her as Armin sat beside him.

"It's okay though," she continued, "They just don't understand. I'd love anything you'd give me Eren."

"I told you it would work!" the brunette said, turning to Armin. "And you doubted me!"

"I just suggested something bigger," Armin replied defensively, "Like a wolf or something."

Mikasa shrugged. "Either way I wouldn't care. Eren gave it to me, and that's all that matters."

"I knew you were going to say that," the blonde sighed, poking at his food. "But that's no excuse to skimp out on presentsﾅ"

"You're just jealous that you couldn't get Annie anything," Eren taunted, sticking his tongue out maturely.

The glare Armin gave him made him change the subject.

"A-anyway, I heard that we will be able to go downtown to hang out tomorrow," Eren said, "W-won't that be fun?"

While the three continued to talk, Jean and Marco sat together at another table, staring at the three with mixed feelings.

"They sure are close, huh?" Marco commented as he finished his food, "Inseparable even."

"Eren is weird as hell," Jean sneered, "the blonde chick is barely passing and Mikasa is a goddess."

Marco's brows furrowed. "Eren is different, but I heard that Armin-who is actually a boy mind you-is very smart, and Mikasaﾅwell, she's very attached to the two of them."

The freckled brunette turned back to his friend only to find him gone.

"Jean-what-?" He looked back to the trio only to see Jean making his way up to them-or more specifically, Mikasa.

"Thisﾅthis won't end well," he sighed.

"H-hey Mikasa," Jean said, sliding into the empty spot next to her. "I-I-"

She truly was beautiful-dark, mysterious eyes lightly covered by silky, jet black hair and a beautiful, pale face with no doubt soft skin-

"Hey horse-face!" Eren shouted, "Stop checking out my sister!"

Jean stood abruptly, face burning. "S-shut up Yeager! I-I-"

"You what!?" Eren demanded, standing up as well. "Go on, say it to my face!"

"Guys," Armin said calmly, stepping between the two of them. "Now's not the time to fight."

"Why are you even here!?" Jean demanded, "You're lagging behind the rest of us! You shouldn't even-"

"Don't say that about my best friend!" Eren shouted, going to lunge at him only for Armin to block his way.

"Eren," he said sternly. "Don't."

The brunette stood there, fuming for a moment before he finally let out a breath. "Sﾅsorry."

"You better be-" Jean started, before the blonde's glare cut him off.

"I'll deal with you later," Armin said menacingly before turning back to his best friend. "Are you calm now?"

A pause, a nod.

"Good, now let's eat."

The two of them sat down at the table as if nothing happened, making Jean feel very confused.

Back at their table, Marco sighed. "I knew that wouldn't end well..."

* * *

"You said you'd do what?"

Armin raised his hands defensively. "I'm just saying that if something or someone was bothering you, I'll be there for you. Especially if it's a person."

Annie narrowed her eyes at the blonde boy. She had been ditching hand-to-hand combat training and resting by a cluster of trees by the grounds when Armin had suddenly approached her with his offer. He looked about as menacing as a flower, but the display at lunch told her not to take him lightly-roses have thorns, after all.

"Alright," she said, "Prove it."

Instead of demanding how the hell he was supposed to do that, he merely smiled. "Of course!"

Suddenly the sky turned as dark as night, causing the blonde girl to look around wildly. "W-what the hell!?"

She turned back to Armin and almost fainted.

A dark, demonic aura surrounded the blonde as the earth shook violently, causing a crack to form in the ground. The said crack widened between the two of them until a chasm about a few yards wide sat between them, making Annie back away to keep her from falling in. When she got her bearings, she peered into the chasm and noticed the bright fire that burned below-

Her thoughts were cut off when screams of agony started to cry out from pit and hands reached out from the flames, clawing at the chasm's walls.

"Are...are those people?" she asked, forgetting to keep her face neutral as pure fear coursed through her veins.

"There are _some_ people down there," Armin admitted, "But most of them are demons. The others are people that I despise. Cain's down there."

When he said the last part he waved down at the pit as a familiar scream echoed around them.

Annie looked from the smiling blonde to the pit of suffering creatures. "And if someone's bothering me you'll just shove them in here?"

"If you like," he agreed, "but I can also summon one of the demons to do my bidding too-or one of the spirits that wronged me just so I can torture them a little when I'm feeling annoyed. I can do that for you too if you'd like."

"...can people return from there?"

Armin thought for a second. "They can if they're still living when cast inside," he decided, "But if they're dead then they'll just return there eventually, whether I will it or not."

The blonde girl nodded. "Well then..."

The chasm suddenly closed and the sun returned as if nothing even happened.

"Is that proof enough for you?" Armin asked hopefully, looking up at her with innocent but hungry eyes.

"...yes," Annie decided, "Thanks...I guess..."

She was able to school her expression again, but she couldn't school her emotions to stop the fear clawing at her very being as the blonde boy laughed happily.

* * *

"Ooh, where'd you get this?" Mikasa asked, holding up the bracelet.

Jean, who had decided to try to hit on Mikasa again, stared at the necklace. "Is that...?"

"Human teeth," Eren said proudly, "Some idiot had tried to kill someone, and after I killed him I took his teeth and made you a bracelet-I even used some of his blood to dye it red!"

"Wow," Armin said, "You even carved little designs in the enamel...that's really intricate!"

The two-toned brunette made a disgusted face. "W-what!? They're teeth-"

He then spotted the necklace resting on Mikasa's neck.

"I like bone jewelry," Mikasa stated, as if that explained everything.

Jean looked from the necklace to her, then to Eren, and finally Armin.

"You have no problems with this whatsoever?" Jean asked the blonde, hoping that he might at least be somewhat sane.

He wasn't. "Why should I?" he asked, looking genuinely confused. "I personally offer services instead of goods, but I think it's really cute!"

Jean then slowly backed away from the table, convinced that the three of them were insane.

"I told you not to go over there," Marco sighed as he sat back down, "They're...unique, to put it nicely."

"They're batshit crazy," Jean replied, "Like seriously, bone jewelry!? What the actual fuck!?"

Marco shrugged helplessly. "I don't know," he said, "Nobody does..."

"Except Annie," the two-toned brunette commented, nodding to said blonde who had made her way to the trio-well, more specifically Armin.

The two talked, and then Annie must have said something good due to how Armin's face lit up with glee, though his eyes were wide with a twinge of madness.

* * *

Three people disappeared that day.

They never returned.

* * *

"There's something about those three that scare the living hell out of me," Jean admitted as they sat once again in the mess hall, "I'm pretty sure those people's disappearances were those three's fault."

Marco sighed. "As much as I like to see the good in everyone...they terrify me as well."

"So it's not just me!" Connie-who happened to be at the same table as the two them-exclaimed with a mouthful of food. "I'm not crazy!"

"I never said you were," Sasha replied, "I mean, they can be nice but something about them just makes me want to run far and fast!"

Jean turned back to the trio, who looked like any normal group of friends, except-

"Oh Eren, this is the best by far!" Mikasa cried out, embracing her brother. "Thank you so much!"

Not wanting to know what the hell he got her this time, Jean looked away, dread filling his gut. He focused on eating until he felt another pair of eyes on him. Looking up again he noticed Armin was staring at him.

I'll deal with you later.

"H-h-hey Sasha," Jean said, not taking his eyes off the blonde, who did the same. "You know how you said something about them made you wanted to run far and fast?"

Sasha nodded, not noticing Armin. "Yeah, why?"

Jean gulped. "I'll race you."


	10. Silk and Sugar

**HOLY SHIT THIS IS LONG**

 **LIKE, ALMOST 3,000 WORDS (realizes that some people write 10,000+ words per chapter) (Cries)**

 **BUT STILL, ENJOY**

Armin knew when someone was trying to replace him.

He had nothing against the new recruit, honestly—it's just seems like the new recruit had something against _him_. Though still they're both around the same age, he seemed to keep lording his "superior intellect" and "loyalty to humanity" over the rest of squad and about how he was the best in his class academically.

When asked about the physical aspect, he quiets instantly.

At first the blonde was drawn to him because they were so alike—both of their strength lay in their minds, not their bodies. He had tried to converse with him a few times, but things quickly went south the moment the other boy opened his mouth.

If you asked him about himself, he'd practically burst into song about how his "tragic" back story about how he was given away to an orphanage when he was a child and raised with the other children who got along perfectly with each other, only to be separated from them when his parents came back for him. They were wonderful people, and they just couldn't take care of him until his father got a prestigious place in the bureaucracy and was actually able to afford it.

"It was horrible," he'd complain, "but I still love them. Pretty sad, right?"

Armin had heard this story so many times that he couldn't even bring himself to show emotion on his face. "Yeah, that's got to be tough."

To be honest, he couldn't even remember the person's name—though he was sure he could recite his back story word for word from memory…

At first people were okay with the guy until asked about himself. People tend to avoid the topic completely, but he still somehow brings the conversation back to himself like the entire world revolved around him.

And then comes his "loyalty". He keeps on claiming how he's going to kill all of the titans and free humanity, but in reality he hasn't ever laid eyes on one—but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that he knew that people can continue to live in harmony with one another once the titans were gone, and that humanity is doing its best to pull together and become free again.

When Armin heard that, he merely laughed.

He couldn't deny that he was book-smart though—their first conversation had been about random facts about life, and that's what drew Armin to him…and inevitably away from him.

No matter how many "discussions" they had, the new recruit was just too naïve to understand how cruel this world _really_ was—he'd experienced it firsthand while the new guy was fresh from Wall Sina, unaware of anything and everything wrong with anything and everything.

A slight nudge interrupted the blonde's train of thought, causing him to jump. "H-huh?"

It turned out it wasn't Mr. Woe-is-Me, but Mr. I-Actually- _Do_ -Have-A-Tragic-Back-Story-That-Deserves-Sympathy. "Figures you'd be spacing out," Eren muttered, "My brain feels like shutting off whenever Francis opens his stupid mouth…"

 _Francis_. So _that's_ his name…

"Hey are you guys listening?" Francis demanded, "I was asking if any of you play chess!"

Suddenly an idea popped into his head.

"I do," Armin said instantly, "It's one of my favorite pastimes."

The challenge shone brightly in the other boy's eyes. "Well then, you want to go?"

Armin smiled in what he hoped was an innocent and not psychopathic way. "I'd love too," he replied, "One match couldn't hurt…"

"Well prepare to be proven wrong!" Francis declared, "Because your pride will be severely wounded after I beat you!"

The blonde then decided to turn his sweet smile to a dark smirk. "Is that so?"

The way Francis flinched was more satisfying than it should have been.

So he didn't anticipate the crowd…

Francis wasn't feeling nervous because of the match—he was confident that he'd win—it was just the crowd in general. He wasn't a fan of being the center of attention of a large group of people, but it wasn't going to throw him off his game.

He knew that the kid he was facing off against was pretty smart, but he couldn't be _that_ bad. They're around the same age so he must have just as little experience as he did when it came to strategy—probably less, because he actually looks a bit _younger_ than him.

His eyes were a bit unnerving, though…

"Ready?" the blonde kid asked, cocking his head to the side.

"To kick your ass?" he replied, "yes."

A snicker went through the crowd, stroking Francis' ego. The crowd wasn't too bad if they were on his side.

"Armin's going to destroy him," someone muttered.

"I hope he at least goes easy on him," said another.

"I doubt it," said a third, "That look in his eyes said that he's already called check mate."

…or not.

"You first," the blonde— _Armin_ apparently—said kindly, waving his hand dismissively.

Francis' eyebrow twitched but did as he said nonetheless.

It's been about ten minutes and Francis was stumped.

The way Armin played completely _mystified_ him. It was as if he'd _purposely_ throw away his own pieces, but still looked as smug as ever. _Doesn't he realize that he's losing?_ He thought as he moved to take his rook, _what is he even_ doing _?_

"Do you even know how to _play_ chess?" Francis asked as Armin left a knight undefended, "I mean, I'm literally _destroying_ you."

"Are you?" Armin asked, watching as his knight was taken. "If you think that then I should be asking _you_ that."

Francis laughed out loud, cursing himself for how nervous he sounded. "As if!" he replied, moving his king.

The blonde moved a pawn. "Check."

The boy's blood ran cold as his eyes furiously scanned the board. "H-how!?" he demanded, "Y-you're _bluffing_!"

Armin didn't comment.

He stared at the board for a while longer until he saw his escape.

" _Ha!_ " he declared, slamming his queen onto the board. " _Check_ _ **mate**_ _!_ "

The entire room gasped, but the blonde still remained unfazed.

"I _beat_ you!" Francis declared, "You lost! _Ha_!"

"Did Armin really lose?" someone asked.

"That's not right," someone else replied.

Francis ignored them. He'd _won_! Everyone was talking about how that kid was a tactical genius, but Francis _beat_ him—!

Suddenly there was a light _thud_ as the blonde knocked over Francis' king with a pawn.

"…checkmate."

The room became silent.

"…are you _deaf_?" Francis demanded, "I _already_ fucking called checkmate you idiot!"

"That you did," Armin replied, "but you wouldn't have been able to attack my king until your next move, correct?"

The boy felt a vein pop in his forehead. "That doesn't matter!" he shouted back, "I cornered your king!"

"But you couldn't attack it before I took yours out," the blonde replied calmly, "You were so focused on my king that you left yours wide open, and I took advantage of that. You lost before you can deliver the final blow."

The whispers started up again as Francis stared at the board. "…you used you _king_ as _bait_!?"

A grin spread across Armin's face, sending shivers down Francis' spine. "Yes," he replied, "I did."

"But…but that's not fair!" Francis declared, "I called checkmate _before_ —!"

"Just because you _claimed_ you won doesn't mean that you _did_ win," Armin pointed out, "If you want victory, then you _take_ it."

An irrational fear began to clench at Francis' gut. Most of the people had left by now, probably bored with their conversation though a few still remained.

"…who the hell _are_ you?"

Armin laid back in his chair and sighed. "Someone who's had to fight to keep what's mine almost constantly. It's a hard-learned lesson, so it's best if you got it drilled into your head by a simple chess game rather than a life-or-death situation involving the ones your closest to."

Two of the people that remained nodded in unison (now that Francis thought about it, those three were _constantly_ in unison) and left, the rest of the crowd following behind until they were the only two people in the room. Francis really did _not_ want to be left alone with this kid, but he had to prove him wrong, at all costs.

"H-how's that fair?" Francis demanded, "If you say it's yours then it's yours. People should get the idea and back the hell off—besides, what kind of kid like _you_ would know about life-or-death situations?"

The blonde actually laughed out loud, which spooked Francis to no end.

"First off, I'm sixteen," Armin said, "Second, I'm a veteran and therefore your _senior_ and should be treated as such, and third…"

Something dark flickered in the blonde's eyes that made him suddenly seem a _lot_ older, making Francis' stomach drop.

"…life-or-death situations don't care how young, old, innocent or seasoned you are—they just happen. It doesn't matter if you're an eight-year old or sixty-five-year old. Life happens, and so does death."

Francis was starting to feel _very_ uncomfortable. "…what do you mean by that?"

Armin's unsettlingly blue eyes scrutinized Francis' every movement. "Are you aware of the Fall of Wall Maria in 840?"

The boy scoffed. "Of _course_ I am!" Francis replied, "I remember a bunch of key goods like silk and sugar was in short supply—it still is!"

The blonde's eyes narrowed with what Francis could only guess was contempt. "Well so was food in general, as well as blankets, dwellings, clothing…pretty much everything one needed to survive."

"Okay," Francis said, "Now you're exaggerating. There's _no way_ —"

Armin suddenly leaned forward and slammed his hands on the table, making Francis fall back into his chair. "You think I'm _exaggerating?_ " he demanded suddenly, "Well then you wouldn't believe that they sent a good two-thirds of the Wall Maria refugees to die so that they can have fewer mouths to feed."

"T-that's ridiculous," Francis replied shakily, "I-it was to retake—"

"You seriously thought that old, starved men with nothing but farming implements can face _titans_ when the Survey Corps _itself_ can barely handle them?" Armin asked, eyes cold and filled with barely restrained anger. "They were sent to die so _you_ can have more _silk_ and _sugar_ while the few who survived—as well as those who were too young to fight—were sent to the fields were we were overworked, underfed, and forced to live in unsanitary _landfills_ while you have your _silk_ and _sugar_. The only way one could keep their belongings is to fight to keep them, or else someone will _take_ it from you. And if there was something you needed, then you _take_ it—even if it means killing them in the process."

Francis stood and backed away from the blonde. "You…you're a Maria refugee?"

Armin laughed again. "Not just _any_ Maria refugee—my hometown was Shinganshina."

Suddenly, everything made sense.

"I had _everything_ taken from me," Armin said, the anger having died down at what Francis guessed was the light bulb e saw light up in the boy's eyes. "All I had were my two friends—and I had actually lost one of those friends, but fate decided to give me a break and he came back. I've gained a lot more since then, and I'll protect them with my life—and others."

"But…" Francis understood where he came from, however he was still confused. "W-what the hell gives you the right to give people's lives away?"

"Nothing," the blonde replied, shocking Francis. "I don't _give_ lives away—that would imply that I kill for the hell of it. No, I _take_ lives because they tried to _take_ something from me. That's what life is—you _take_ what you need and _defend_ it at all costs, even if that cost is your life—or, if necessary, the lives of others."

Francis stared at the chess board again. "Humanity is…very flawed, isn't it?"

"It's not just human nature," Armin replied, "It's just how this world works—the strong prey on the weak. Animals hunt other animals, humans hunt animals and weak humans, titans hunt humans."

"That's…not fair," Francis muttered, "I mean, we're the sentient beings, right? _We_ should the top of the food chain."

Armin smiled, though it wasn't terrifying—just sad. "That's what the Survey Corps is about," he said, "we're trying to reclaim the world the titans took, to restore our dominance. The problem is, some people are content to live in this cage for all eternity, so that makes our job a lot harder."

It was then that Francis understood completely.

"This world is very flawed," he muttered, "the only reason we're fighting against the titans is because of pride, isn't it? Because we believe that we deserve to be free—but what if we aren't _meant_ to be free?"

"You mean like you didn't mean for me to use my king as bait to take yours?" Armin asked, "It doesn't matter if it was meant for us or not—if we want it, then we have to fight to take it. You can't change anything if you aren't willing to sacrifice anything for it, now can you?"

Francis nodded, completely awed. "…no wonder you beat me in chess. Greed doesn't get us anywhere, does it?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Francis knew he was right. He was focused on keeping all of his pieces while taking all of Armin's, which in turn left the most important piece completely undefended. Armin seemed content with the bare essentials, only taking what's necessary.

Which, in this case, was what Francis left to be taken in his need to take the other, nonessential pieces.

"No it does not," the blonde replied, sitting down again. "But as my grandfather said, Spirit, Wisdom and Strength is what is what will get you where you need to be."

"Spirit, wisdom and strength, huh?" Francis mused, "What if you're lacking in one or more of those?"

Armin looked towards the doorway where the crowd had left. "Then that's what love and loyalty is for," he answered, "You find it in something—or some _one_ —else. In actuality, you probably _are_ lacking in one or more of those qualities, because if you think you have it all then you have nothing at all."

Francis couldn't agree more.

"…you want a rematch?" Armin asked suddenly, smiling kindly. "I bet you that I can call checkmate in only ten moves."

"But calling it won't mean you won," Francis pointed out, "because I might put you in checkmate before you can actually take out my king."

The blonde laughed lightheartedly, "So you _are_ learning," he said, setting the board back up. "Fine—I won't let you call check, even once."

Francis' eyebrows furrowed at the challenge. "Okay you're smart, but that's a bit much, don't you think?"

"If you're scared, then—"

Francis frantically helped him set up the board, making the blonde laugh again.

"Alright," Armin said, "You first."

Francis grinned as he did just that."

Francis felt himself grin as he moved to take the blonde's knight. _One more move and he'll be in check_ , he thought gleefully, _looks like you're not all-knowing after all—_

"Checkmate," Armin said simply, knocking over Francis' king.

"What the— _shit_ …" Francis groaned, "Aren't you supposed to say checkmate _before_ you take the king?"

"Are you supposed to announce you're going to take someone's belongings before you rob them?"

Francis narrowed his eyes. "Are you supposed to make every chess game a life lesson?"

"No, but it just happens."

Despite feeling annoyed, Francis couldn't help but laugh.

"Is it just me, or is that guy a _lot_ less annoying?" someone Armin didn't recognize asked at their table.

"You mean Francis?" he asked, "Yeah, he's an okay guy now."

Eren laughed out loud while Mikasa smirked behind her scarf.

"Mind if I sit here?" said boy asked, tray of food in hand.

"Of course," Armin replied, patting the empty seat next to him.

"Thanks," Francis said, sitting beside him and starting on his food.

Armin suddenly got an idea. "Hey, you want to have another chess match?"

"Are you going to turn it into another life lesson or are you just going to kick my ass for fun?" was the reply.

Armin tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Hmm…I'm not sure yet."

Francis rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Whatever—either way, I'm game."

 **So I was planning on killing this OC too, but whatever :/**

 **Also, I'll take requests because idk wtf I'm doing anymore XD so Read and Review! :D**

 **JUST...**

 _ **EDIT:**_ **Okay I just canNOT ignore this Review:**

Loki: Hiya Odin!

I see that you are writing through humans again...XD!

 **I figured you'd notice because of the unusually long word count XD Happy Birthday, btw :)**


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